The DWMegawadClub Plays: Dawn of the Dead & Earth & Classic Episode

[Catpho]

Heyo! Anders Johnsen and Martin Aalen Hunsager (of Alien Vendetta fame) also gave their thoughts on "The Classic Episode". Check it out!

Edited February 20, 2019 by Catpho

[TheOrganGrinder]

And so we move into the third and final act of this month.

 

The Classic Episode

 

E2M1: Foray

 

Well, that's something of a hot start, isn't it?  And after ten days of a WAD largely dominated by homogeneous cave systems, it's nice to come back to the familiar (and varied!) techbase theme.  I feel like this is a map that does a lot with a little: it's not got an especially large footprint, but it manages to cram an engaging three-key search and a lot of interestingly interconnected rooms into that available space; it doesn't yet throw a terrific variety of enemies at you, but it takes those enemies and arranges them into nicely varied combat encounters across the whole of the level's running time; it stays within a single theme and a limited selection of textures, but the environment is as varied, recognisable, and as fully-realised as can be asked for.  There's freedom to roam here, and that works both ways, with the player given multiple different routes to explore at any given point, and the monsters - many of which can be awakened early, either by gunfire or as they catch a glimpse of you through a window or a set of bars - often coming at you from unexpected angles in response to earlier movement and the particular path you've chosen to invade their space.

[gaspe]

Classic Episode

 

E2M1: E1 at its finest. Not so much to say, but not in a bad way. It's packed with lots of action while I was expecting something more tame to open the set, god thing, I hope it keeps to stay interesting. I liked the stair of pillars at the RK and the little platforming to get the BK, but I think that having 3 keys in a such small is too much.

[galileo31dos01]

Yay fun's back!

 

The Classic Episode begins, or well, comments begin:

 

E2M1: Foray

 

As the title implies, it's a quick spicy opening to our dear ol' Phobos, packed with enough action to stay in motion (<-- wow me rhyming heh). One thing that caught my attention, first was the door next to the nukage. In Crispy Doom's automap, the linedef is orange, which means you can interact with the door, but only from the other side. I spent a good minute looking for ways to open it, even tried to jump out of the building through a window, but without results. It must be for multiplayer, since there's nothing in there. On another side, I agree with others that requiring three keys seems quite a task for such a small layout. If this was Soto's first steps into mapping publicly, I get that you want to include as much as you can, between certain parameters, it's an episode opener. Regardless, no complains, just a good start.

 

 

[Capellan]

CLASS_EP e2m2

Unlike the first map, this one doesn't feel familiar to me. Perhaps I dipped my toe in the WAD once before, but it doesn't seem I went very deep, if so.

 

This is another fun E1-looking affair, though again I think the action is definitely a step of tempo higher then the original KDitD. I like the blend of indoor and outdoor locations and views in this, which helps create a sense of variety in the visuals. The number of ways in which the map wraps back on itself and allows views into earlier / later areas is also appreciated. Especially when it lets shamelessly snipe 'deaf' monsters in the back, as it did when I entered the outdoor nukage section with the yellow key :)

 

 

[Aquila Chrysaetos]

E2M2

Eternity Engine 4.00.00, UV, pistol start, saveless

There are a lot of shotgunners in this map. I do not like shotgunners.

This map does the same three key deal the previous one did, but this one feels more fleshed out by it.

Unfortunately, the gameplay suffers severely in my mind by relying almost entirely on the shotgun guy.

With no armor available outside secrets (maybe not even in them), this map does not lend itself to the fast gameplay I prefer.

The chaingun is available, but with few bullets, it's mostly the shotgun getting a work out here.

There's a rocket launcher available, too, but I could not get it down and see no ammo for it, either, so I doubt it would be much of a game changer.

Did I mention this map likes shotgunners? They tend to come in clusters of three or more at once, so your incredibly fragile health will quickly be obliterated if your luck with RNG is bad like mine.

The flow is good, the aesthetic nice, but the gameplay is not my style, for sure.

[TheOrganGrinder]

E2M2: Mars Outpost

 

Hicks' line about keeping his shotgun handy "for close encounters" comes to mind here, because a lot of this map's encounters take place in close, even intimate quarters.  The shotgun sergeants provide you with a steady feed of shells to keep your twelve-gauge fed as you creep your way through the halls, but the lack of armour gives rise to a situation where a shotgun blast can strip of a staggering chunk of your health, so there's little encouragement to tackle things at a brisk pace.  You're also treated to a rocket launcher, but I wasn't particularly aware of any situation where it seemed like the optimum choice of weapon, so I guess I'll be slinging that one across my back and saving it for later.

[DJVCardMaster]

E2M2 "Mars Outpost" - Anthony Soto (100% K/ 100% I/ 50% S):

First of all, I don't like facing monsters on agro mode from start, in fact I don't like being attacked by anything from start in any single game, the thing is that, pretty often, you end a level, start the next one and go back to get your cup of tea, when you get back to the computer, you find yourself dead by some monsters placed right in front of you, I feel is not that fair, but it just a nitpick of mine.
Overall the map is a better one than the first, as it should be, it's packed of shotgunners, making you constantly search for hide spots. I died one because I had no health to start this map, but actually is not as difficult as I thought it would be reading some other reviews complaining about too many shotgunners. Difficulty is just a little bit higher than E2M1, but nothing too outrageous.
Aesthetics are the same as in E2M1 but with more open areas. There are lots of windows that are not tagged as impassible and the player can get through, not sure if this was intended or not, but considering its really overdone on Ultimate Doom, it felt kinda weird, specially because you haveb two ways of entering the Berserk pack courtyard.
Talking about ammo reserves (Berserk pack) it felt it gave you a lot of shells, considering you can gain up to 11 shells by boomsticking 3 shotgunners in a row, making the player feel constantly at shell limit.
I would have replaced some shells for chaingun ammo or maybe some rockets for the secret RL on the crates :).

Death counter: 1

Maps in order of preference: 

E2M2 (Great)
E2M1

Still stays solid in comparison to DODEAD, hope its third map doesn't fall just like the mentioned wad.

[tmorrow]

e2m2: Mars Outpost

This facility has more dangerous elements than the previous map. There are some slime areas that hamper your easy movement through the rooms. Areas are locked away until you can track down a switch or key. Teleporting enemies raise the difficulty bar as well but overall our marine hasn't broken out into a sweat yet.

[gaspe]

E2M2: Not so different from the opening level, a well done KDitD style level. The scope is bigger and the 3 keys setup works better this time. There are only 2 secrets: the timed RL on the crate, and a green armor that with the berserk pack nearby it was extremely useful since the level is packed with lots of shotgunners. Being able to snipe the monsters from their back at the YK are was hilarious, feels like it was done like that on purpose.

[T-Rex]

Continuing on with my playthrough of Earth. Let's go.

 

Map04: The Chasm

100% kills, 85% items, 100% secrets

Time: 09:29

 

Finally! A map that I was able to beat in under 10 minutes! It also seems rather humorous that it plays a midi rendition of "Self Control," another light-hearted track that just doesn't fit in Doom. The map seems quite short and straightforward. Start isn't so bad either if you have the BFG from Map02, which will be effective against the arch-vile, baron and a couple of arachnotrons at the start. Get the blue key then climb up to a tunnel where you'll be greeted by a long bridge over the eponymous chasm, including some barons coming your way. After crossing the bridge you'll find the blue door, so go in to be teleported into the chasm and hurry across to the other side to collect the red key. Monsters will start spawning all around, and thankfully you could get them to infight with each other. Let them have it out, then wipe out the remaining stragglers. With all the enemies, locate the switch that will lower the teleporter so you can be back on the bridge. Return to the start where more monsters are spawned in. A yellow key will also be revealed which you'll need to exit. This map is a bit more manageable than the first few, but still, you'll have to keep your guard as some of the big, nastier monsters can be spawned in the inaccessible ridges.

 

Map05: Strategic Defense Command

100% kills, 100% items, 100% secrets

Time: 17:27

 

Don't be fooled by the start. You would have thought the map will finally have some variety and include some techbase locales, if only that were the case. Instead, the techbase makes up a small portion of the map as like always most of it takes place in underground caverns. Anyway, the start has you battling a couple of Nazis, supposedly the stand-ins for possessed security guards. Enter the structure, and you descend into the caves below. You'll be doing a lot of climbing up and down, but be very careful when the monsters start spawning in. You'll be facing two different waves; the first is from when you start exploring the caves, and the second is when after you collect the blue key, located in a large room hosting the spider mastermind and several other baddies. Beware of revenants and arch-viles as they can do massive damage to you if you don't pay full attention to where they are. Getting back to the top will require you to activate the elevator through the tech section. Overall, it is not a bad map, but the darkness of the caves can be quire frustrating, and the lack of variety doesn't do it much favours either.

 

Map06: Observation Station

100% kills, 100% items, 100% secrets

Time: 18:34

 

This is probably the only map that has more emphasis on the techbase theme despite it having a few cavernous sections. There's quite a lot of enemies to plough through, some of which can be quite lethal if you're not careful. At least most of the fights take place outdoors, so there's that. Perhaps the trickiest part of the map is trying to find the secrets and there's also the rather disorienting climb through the rugged cliffs, where it will be hard to have a footing while you're blasting the enemies away from the distance. Getting the blue and red keys are rather self-explanatory, though you'll have to stay on guard as you deal with the horde of enemies that appear. Then comes the yellow key section where you'll be having your first encounter with a cyberdemon here. Sometimes it helps to have him infight with a few of enemies, and if you have the BFG9000, the battle is slightly easier, though you have to be mindful of some of the weaker monsters that can get in the way. Getting the yellow key will require you to find a switch tucked away in a narrow ledge. One of the secrets you have to find makes use of the crusher ceiling/door trick famously used in Memento Mori 2 Map07: Frustration. The ending has you wasting Romero's head overlooking the big fight. This is somewhat better than the previous maps, though the rocky textures continue to persist throughout the set. The shoreline graphic effects make a return, so at least the map has some nice, striking visuals to compensate for the lukewarm combat scenarios.

 

Well, that's three more maps done, and I'll finish the rest tomorrow after a nice, long sleep. Take care, everyone. 

[Capellan]

CLASS_EP e2m3

It's another well-made E1-styled map where you run around a techbase shooting the many lower tier monsters who come out of the startan-work. It's all solidly done and I had a good time playing it, but it's very much in the same mould as the maps that came before it, right down to utilising all three keys when I think it probably would be better off with only one or two.

 

So yeah, nice use of windows and viewpoints, solid layout, looks good, plays fun, probably too many keys, but there's not a whole lot that leaps out to me to make it distinctive from the maps before it.

 

 

 

[Walter confetti]

E2M2: This map must be called "Watch out at every goddamn corner for monsters" because is what this level is! Jokes aside, is a good romp map heavily interconnected in all it's rooms, it gives more a episode 4 than a straightforward episode 1 map vibe, saved and died a lot here, but enjoyed it a lot!

 

E2M3: Another episode 1 style, this time is more strict to the theme than the previous map, is a quite large and monster filled techbase, lots of interconnections trough the map, enjoyed this even more the previous map!

My favorite part of the map, aesthetically speaking.

[tmorrow]

e2m3: The Deimos Complex

Our third facility is much larger and comes with more enemies. This map is a real romp once you've picked up the obligatory rifle, chaingun and chainsaw to easily slice through the opposition tier 1 trash. I like how the yellow key pickup comes with a surprising slime tax.

[Magnusblitz]

E2M2: Mars Base

100% kills, 1/2 secrets

 

As others have said this one can be quite dangerous due to the combo of shotgunners and lack of armor (sounds like there's one in the secret I didn't find, aside from that, nada). You get a chaingun but no bullets for it, so you'll be using the shotgun 90% of the time which makes the shotgunner encounters dangerous since you'll often come across them in groups and you'll drop one but might catch fire from his friends. Also a very heavily interconnected layout with lots of chances to get pincered or blindsided, so it might be best to play this one carefully. A bit blander aesthetically IMO than last map but there is enough variance in the areas to keep things interesting. Also of note is that between this and last map, Soto seems to like forcing the player to proceed by way of taking leaps of faith (such as jumping into the slime here without knowing where it leads).

 

E2M3: The Deimos Complex

100% kills, 2/2 secrets

 

Van der Veken is nicer and gives an armor vest right from the get-go, which (along with actually providing chaingun ammo) makes the proceedings a lot smoother than the last couple maps. Monster density (similar to DOTD) is a bit higher than expected though, plenty of monsters to chew through, especially culminating in the fight for the blue key in the northwest area. Aesthetically this feels even MORE E1-themed than the first couple maps, with lots of stuff like windows to powerups on columns, slightly off-kilter staircases, etc. Solid but I do think Capellan makes a good point that it's feeling a bit samey so far (or that maybe adhering too close to the E1 design feels well-worn at this point?)

 

 

[galileo31dos01]

E2M2: Mars Outpost

 

I appreciate a lot when layouts favor interconnection between areas so it doesn't feel like the route's a straight line from start to end. This sweet map does it well, visually a slight step up: roofless areas, more windows allowing to look the next rooms, besides enemies are able to snipe you and viceversa, etc. Naughty sergeant groups increase, teleporting imps, few barrels and toxic pools make this level quite dynamic. Nothing overwhelming but an instance where a lift takes you to the faces of three sergeants can whittle your energy down to nothing in a second (a quick dash to the side room prevents this). The two secrets don't weight too much on the player but are useful in their way, specially the RL which serves to gib a few packs at the exit. The armor arrives a little late, plus the method to obtain it could take a while to notice if you don't pay close attention. Fun map overall.

 

SG woke up on the wrong side of the bed this time, so many failed one-shots.

 

 

[T-Rex]

Right, time to finish off Earth.

 

Map07: The Emerald Tower

100% kills, 100% items, 100% secrets

Time: 02:40

 

This is basically Roger Ritenour's own spin on the Dead Simple concept. You start by seeing a huge green tower overhead, which you'll be getting too pretty shortly. Make your way through another tunnel (groan) to enter a temple. Find the secret filled with goodies, cause you'll need it for a battle against an army of pinkies. While the intended way to take them out is by going for the berserk pack inside the alcoves they came out of, I found that in continuous play, it's much easier and quicker to use both the double barrelled shotgun and rocket launcher since with punching enemies, the hit detection is very finicky in Doom. Just be sure to alternate between weapons so you won't come up short on ammo, especially rockets which you'll need for the mancubi, and you can use the berserk on a few of the remaining pinkies. With them dead, you can exit. You'll be running another long bridge to the tower guarded by the mancubi, so waste them and the entrance will open. By far the shortest map in this set.

 

Map08: The Ammo Pit

134% kills, 100% items, 100% secrets

Time: 17:48

 

I think at that point I'm getting sick to death with these caverns, but unfortunately, this map has to be tackled. So named because at the start there's a pit full of enemies, many of which are zombies that will drop their ammo, and there are also arch-viles that will revive them, which will allow more to be stocked up, much needed as throughout the rest of the map, there is no ammo to spare, except for health and armour. Trick is to get the monsters in the pit to infight with each other, weakening the arch-viles in the process. The cavernous tunnels have a very stringy and mazey layout, and you have to watch out cause some of the monsters spawn in them and with the majority of the tunnels so dark, you'll be having a hard time trying to gun them down. The keys are spread out, so look around carefully for them, especially the red key which is easy to miss even though it's situated in plain sight. Lots of backtracking involved too. Getting the megasphere secret will require you to have an arch-vile set you up in flames and you'll need to run at the right angle so you can be launched into the spot. Don't forget the invulnerability, but once you grab it, you really need to get it right otherwise you'll be forced to do it again without it, and that really hurts. After you navigate the caves, you'll reach the outside, but you have more enemies to face there and inside the building at the end. Not a terrible map, the over and under effects which The Innocent Crew are known for implementing are a nice touch, but the caves are so dark, and with no other ammo, you'll need to get the monsters to infight with each other, especially as there are a shitload of barons lurking around. Thank goodness this is the last cavern map in the wad. As for the music, well, I don't mind that much the midi rendition of the 1492 Conquest of Paradise theme. It may not be that fitting for Doom's gameplay, but it's rather quaint, to say the least.

 

Map09: Islands

100% kills, 100% items, 100% secrets

Time: 09:59

 

This is quite a welcome change from all those dark caves I have to endure, and it's a bit on the fun side too. It also plays rather unfitting music, a midi rendition of Tiffany's I Think We're Alone Now, so this map is another one with a lighthearted atmosphere. Rather good to finally be able to stock up on ammo as I'm almost dry from the previous map. First order of affair is to kill the mancubi in the starting island, then find the teleporter to get to the other island where there's two structures, one of which houses the red key you need to enter the large structure. You'll also need to scale down some narrow ledges to get the blue key. Watch out for all the teleporting monsters, though you can get them to infight. Make your way into the large structure in the yellow key, kill all the resistance inside and locate the yellow key. Return to the starting isle, now full to the brim with monsters. Finding the secrets will reward you with some health and ammo, including a megasphere that will come in really handy for the final map. Overall, while the map is rather bland in design, the gameplay is thankfully not as gruelling, and it's another short affair that goes by rather quickly.

 

Map10: The Hill

100% kills, 100% items, 100% secrets

Time: 06:08

 

So here we are at the final map, which consists of a large mound hosting some baddies including a cyberdemon guarding the red key. Get them infight, and BFG the cyberdemon while he's distracted. Once everyone's cleared out, enter the northwest building where you'll be facing more enemies and the blue key. Go to the southwest building and take the elevator all the way up to your apartment with a TV and a grandfather clock. Turning on the TV will get you a rather pointless megasphere secret, but I'll still go ahead for the 100%. I can't say that much about this map as it's pretty anticlimactic and doesn't really offer that much. I do like how there's an invisible barrier between you and the elevator, giving a "glass" effect.

 

Now for my final thoughts on Earth. Roger Ritenour opted for realism with this wad, and for its time, it was rather impressive. There's a mixed bag of pros and cons. Pros are that the mapset went for exploration, the lighting effects were done right. The wave graphics made for some rather cool effects, and there were some nice renderings to give glass effects in a couple of the maps. Cons, well, the monster spawn randomisation can cause you to be facing some of the tougher enemies rather prematurely than needed, the caverns are way too dark, making it difficult to see where you're going, let alone shooting enemies lurking within, and there are way too many barons, not helped by the at times lack of resources needed to take out those bulky walls of meat. Facing them in cramped winding tunnels where it's tricky to manoeuvre doesn't help either and makes the gameplay quite unfair at times. I used to like it before, probably cause I used to play it at lower difficulties, but after trying it on Ultra-Violence, I felt that it crosses the line between genuine difficulty and pure annoyance and tedium. The music selection, while it uses some Doom and Doom 2 soundtrack, the others tend to be unfitting due to how bubbly and lighthearted they are. In conclusion, this isn't really a wad I'd want to play again for a long time, but nevertheless, it offered some rather neat and quirky effects that push the boundaries of the vanilla engine, and as Capellan summed up, it's an interesting wad to think about. If you want a good wad by Roger Ritenour, check out Phobos. While it's got similar level design to Earth, it's a lot better in terms of gameplay, despite it being only four maps in total.

 

That's it for now. Until then, I'll rejoin to play The Classic Episode. See you all in the brighter later.

 

 

Edited February 22, 2019 by T-Rex

[DJVCardMaster]

E2M3 "The Deimos Complex" - Jan Van der Veken (100% K/ 50% I/ 100% S):

You can really tell this was made by Jan after playing DoDead, a really solid, almost 100% accurate rendition of the first Episode, with some "Jan" touches here and there like the usage of BRONZE textures more than the usual.
You can tell aswell it's made by Jan since you have tons of references to the original episode. You start on a room that looks and plays really similar to the start room in E1M4. This map could have been a submission for DTWID and would have fit well on it, it could be in fact one of the best maps there.
There is another Room that can't be opened, just like in the first level (That exit door that you could not open). This is weird for me, I'm not that fan of doors that won't budge (I usually put them on low brightness or add some "broken door" details to it) this is not Silent Hill, and can be confusing. This is, anyway, one of my common nitpicks, overall the map plays and feels like E1 and like the best DoDead maps.

Death counter: 5

Maps in order of preference: 

E2M3 (Great)
E2M2
E2M1

This wad is really looking and playing both solidly and consistently, Fava Beans level, we may have a wad here that could topple it.

[TheOrganGrinder]

E2M3: The Deimos Complex

 

As with many of the early levels of Dawn of the Dead, this is a map which is thematically constrained to the use of low-tier enemies only, and makes up for individual quality with quantity, tossing generous handfuls of zombies and imps at the player to keep the pace of the action pleasantly frenetic.  That's maybe something that E2M1-2 were also doing, but it's more pronounced and apparent here, with a larger and more interconnected playground provided for you to rampage through.  Bullets are in plentiful enough supply that you can use the chaingun situationally, but I think there's still positive pressure to switch back to the shotgun to deal with imps and demons once the squishier hitscanners have been thinned out.  I do feel as though the map might have been improved by the inclusion of an additional secret area or two in the north-western part of the map, since both of the included secrets are available in the early part of the map, befor you've passed through any of the colour-coded doors; it's nice to have a chance to "gear up" for the encounters waiting for you, but that frontloading gives the layout a somewhat uneven feel.  I did like the fact that the exit is spatially close to the start, giving you a sense of ascending to a higher level of the same complex as you progress to the next level; props also for the including of a start-door like area in the opposite corner of the map, which I can see from the editor has a deathmatch start on the other side of it but in the single-player game feels like a believable alternate entrance to the complex, from which one can imagine "How might the level work if it was designed with this as the start point?"

[gaspe]

E2M3: And finally Van der Veken enters in the set with a techbase that it's grown in size compared to the previous levels, and that somehow it felt more slow to play but I think that's partly because also the population is increased (184 on UV). Not sure why it's called Deimos Complex when this is another pure KDitD style level (except few different touches), and you still encounter only the low tiers of E1. I had fun wth this level but I wasn't so much impressed with it for the most. I think that it sticks too much with homages (E1M2, E1M4) and some parts aren't so interesting. Like the exit room that it looks good enough but it's lacking. Or the ring of startan/metal corridors to the left of the courtyard with the blur sphere which feels empty, even though you have to pass there and I liked that the blue door room is almost a secret. On the other hand I loved the usage of the green marble ceiling past the red door, especially in the big hall before the BK that it looks cool. Digging the story of map that originally it was classic7.wad (this episode is mostly a collection of older maps) Deimos Complex was made by stitching together 2 unfinished levels, this was done by Anthony Soto according to the txt file.

[Szymanski]

15 hours ago, Walter confetti said:

My favorite part of the map, aesthetically speaking.

Inspired by a screenshot from a Quake engine Doom mod (If I remember correctly), mod wasn't released

[vdgg]

This area is also present in class_e2 E1M9 (I only discovered the one in class_ep now).

[Capellan]

CLASS_EP e2m4

I'm a bit grumpy about the medkit that's only available if you grab it as soon as you run into that room, but I do like the callback to that room design with the RL chamber later. I also like the arrivals of barons, lost souls and ... of course! ... cacodemons. FTMs FTW. The broadened monster palate definitely gives the map some extra pep, though I do feel like a few more rockets would have been nice to reduce the grind that is baron-slaying with the lower tier weapons.

 

Layout-wise, my only real quibble would be flat, rather bland pipe & tekwall tunnels in the north-east. That wasn't a very engaging bit of play on the whole, though they did at least have a few loops that allowed monsters to potentially path around and pincer you. I wonder if they were intended to evoke memories of the IWAD e1m4?

 

[Walter confetti]

E2M4: I remembered this level when i found the red key door before the RL room and the tekwall mazes, it looks and fells like a cleanup from hell presence version of E2M7 (also foreshadowed by the musical theme), good gameplay and layout, even if i've cheated at that cruel baron of hell trap room... overall, another good and funny level! So far, this mapset is the best of the 3 played!

[Magnusblitz]

E2M4: The Evil Base

100% kills, 0/2 secrets

 

Didn't care for this one as much, it's not bad but it didn't quite grab me. Early on there was a big ammo shortage on pistol start, actually had me chainsawing imps and using pistol as needed. Midway through you finally reach a bunch of sergeant corpses and that gives you enough shells to propel through the rest of the map. The rest did seem a bit under-tuned though as I never really felt in danger after getting the red key, as the monsters don't really surround you and it's easy to retreat to safety. The baron duo might catch some people off guard, especially since you only get five rockets (at least, not in secrets) and they'll likely be spent on the first baron. Oddly enough there's plenty of little push-wall secrets that aren't officially marked.

[tmorrow]

e2m4: The Evil Base

Veken starts to bring out the big guns, like the baron guarding access to the rocket launcher. Our marine has to endure a pain sector for his impudence. Sadly, our hero suffers the same for the chainsaw pickup in a tiny slime tunnel.

As you tour the facility, there are secrets both official and non official to find. The non official ones are pretty tricky. Firstly, there is an unofficial chaingun secret. Secondly, if you are missing max kills, the chances are there is a tiny closet you haven't opened with a solitary imp hiding inside, staunchly and tenaciously guarding a stimpack and a box of bullets. I can just imagine Veken's maniacal laughter when he thought to add this one. "Bwahaha. They think they can uvmax my map. This'll keep 'em guessing, Har, har, har!"

[Catpho]

February is a short month, so I guess we can start voting early! 

Although really, it's just an excuse so I can type this:

+++Eviternity

[galileo31dos01]

E2M3: The Deimos Complex

 

I got all the KDITD throwbacks that the previous maps didn't give me: the initial spacious room with zombies scattered and imps on a high windowed ledge reminded me to E1M4's start. Both secret spheres on pillars screamed E1M2, specially the partial invisibility surrounded by sergeants. The computer areas covered in COMPBLU, a texture that we haven't seen much until now, and that texture always brings me to KDTID. Outside of these neat deja vu moments, I thought the map was simply okay, fun of course but no more than the previous levels. Perhaps because like in DoTD the non-techbase/open-fields design from Veken suited me better, idk. I did like how the cramped hall to the YK lowered revealing toxic. 

 

 

E2M4: The Evil Base

 

Things getting intricate from the start in Veken's style is a definite plus in my book. I said hello goodbye to many monsters the first time, trying to use as little ammo as possible and relying to some infighting, which went a little dicey here and there, specially when those cacodemons started to chase me through the narrow halls. Post-RK that I decided to look inside that short toxic tunnel that I avoided before, only to find my dear almighty chainsaw, which would have made things a tad different. You can see in the video that I seriously put it to work, even if at halfway point there was a surplus of shells everywhere laying on the ground. Meet my guilty pleasure yea. The map's biggest surprises are in hidden alcoves that aren't flagged secret, like seen in DoTD, Veken loved these unofficial extras and so did I. Only the chaingun "secret" evaded me until the end, and that counting with frequent usage of the computer map. Entertaining map.

 

 

[gaspe]

E2M4: I welcomed the shift to the E2 style, both in the visuals that are more varied and with some E2 trademarks and in the gameplay since the big buddies finally make their appearance. Barons and especially the cacos have a big role here. The RL in the eastern computer room is guarded by the first baron and it gives enough rockets to kill it but you better to save at least a couple for later. The use of the cacos in the nukage room from where you can see the RK was good, and they'll make a surprise to you when you come back from the western computer room. I found the first official secret that gives you only 2 precious rockets (what a miser), the other secret (a soulsphere) is nearly impossible to find if you don't looked in the editor or used cheats. Though there many other unofficial secrets to give you a hand. This level also plays some nasty surprises: the medikit that can be picked only once, the chainsaw that you go there hoping to find something better and the best are the twin barons at the RK where you get locked in that cramped room. There you can find a suspicious wall where behind there's a berserk pack, and a group of lost souls. I agree with Capellan about the flatness but I think that it goes on through all the level, the usage of different ceiling heights makes it harder to notice it.

[Aquila Chrysaetos]

E2M3

Eternity Engine 4.00.00, UV, pistol starts, saveless

This one's a cut above the previous two, in my opinion.

This map has more monster variety than the previous two did, which appeared to rely on shotgunners and imps nearly all the time.

There's an available armor almost immediately, which proves very useful to have.

I spent nearly the whole map at low health thanks to a frankly abysmal performance in the first room, and I ran out of shells somewhat often up until the chaingun behind the red door.

In secrets, you can get a very useful soulsphere and blur sphere, but they're not as useful when you find them after everything's dead.

I like this one, it's got the IWAD feel to it, but it's a tad more difficult, and with my experience, it was more interesting, for sure.

 

E2M4

I had remarkable difficulty with this one.

Of note, there's a secret holding two rockets and one containing a soulsphere.

The soulsphere secret is really unintuitive, and I can see what one or two of the others were getting at.

This map has a distinctly E2 feel to it, more than E1, and the cacodemons and barons only reinforce that.

Your strongest weapon here will be infighting, for sure, and the rocket launcher a close second when you come to need it.

There's also a teleport near the red card that seems to be there only to skip backtracking, which feels cheap to me.

There are a lot of unmarked secrets, too, which tend to be easier to work out than the actual secrets, which require some weird exploration or random wall using.

 

E2M5

I'm not sure how I feel about this map.

It's fine, but I feel it had far too many traps.

When a door, key, or switch, or anything wasn't trapped, it came across as a surprise.

The bulk of the monsters comes in through these aforementioned traps.

Also the lack of a non-secret rocket launcher or plasma rifle makes killing the barons and cacodemons a bit of a chore, and soured me a bit.

The map flows well enough, and I like its layout and aesthetic, but the gameplay felt one-sided to me after not very long.

Maybe there's a secret launcher or plasma available, but I didn't find it, and the gameplay suffered massively as a result, in my opinion.

 

E2M9

Wow, I'm doing a lot of maps today.

I'm not understanding the affinity for sticking the player in a room with multiple barons with primarily shells to fight them, and I'm getting tired of it.

The idea that the central area transforms into a two-level area is a good one, and it felt like it was executed well enough.

In fact, I don't really have any gripes about the numerous shotgunners because there's an available chaingun and even plasma rifle here.

The source of my problem with this map is the four barons that block your way to the blue skull, the four the block your way back, and the crusher that doesn't seem to be there for any reason other than to impede progress.

There's a rocket launcher available to fight them, except there aren't enough rockets or cells to do it.

Coming back from the blue skull, that crusher is clearly there to stop you so you're stuck with four barons you'll never want to fight, and this does not strike me as very entertaining.

I can't say skip this map, because I do like it, but the blue skull area really kills the map for me.